Russia's hypersonic missile-armed ship to patrol global seas
Moscow, January 5
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent a frigate armed with the country’s latest Zircon hypersonic missile on a trans-ocean cruise in a show of force as tensions with the West escalate over the war in Ukraine.
Speaking via video link during Wednesday’s sendoff ceremony, Putin again praised Zircon as a “unique weapon” without an “equivalent for it in any country in the world.” In response, the Pentagon said it is monitoring the ship, and did not think it presented a threat that could not be countered.
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Russia touts that the Zircon missile can evade any Western air defenses by flying at an astounding 7,000 miles per hour (11,265 km/h).
Message to west
This is a message to the West that Russia has nuclear-tipped missiles that can easily pierce any missile defences. —Sergei Markov, Political analyst
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin on Wednesday that the Admiral Gorshkov will patrol the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean, but didn’t give further details.
“We are aware of the reports regarding the Russian launch of a frigate, the Admiral Grorshkov. We will continue to monitor its activities as we maintain awareness of our environment,” said a Pentagon official. — AP
